Dainty—or Dive Right In
Did you miss our ridiculously cute spring lambing season? No problem! We'll click back the clock just for you—simply start right here.
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the decidedly not dainty foodie farm blog where most of us fall into the 'dive right in' category, especially when it comes to food—and laughing at silly sheep antics is one of our favorite pastimes.
I Love this Stuff
I'm always surprised when I look back through my photo files and realize just how few pictures I've actually posted, compared to all the ones I meant to post (and the thousands of others I've taken). The same goes for recipes. I couldn't believe it the other day when I realized that I've shared a pathetic grand total of eight recipes with you so far this year—and one of them can hardly be called a recipe. How can this be?
Things have to change. Enough with all the cute animal pictures.* Let's eat!
Rosemary white bean dips abound, but the Fine Cooking recipe I came across last year was the first one I'd seen that called for artichoke hearts. It sounded like a perfect combination, and it is. It doesn't taste all that artichokey—and someone might have a hard time actually guessing they're in there—but they really add a lot of flavor.
I applied my usual More, More, More philosophy to the original recipe, upping the fresh rosemary (since my rosemary bush in the greenhouse is thriving), cheese, and even olive oil. I substituted Pecorino Romano for the Parmigiano Reggiano because I love the flavor—and much lower price—of Romano, and besides, somebody needs to support all those Italian sheep farmers!
On a whim, I decided to stir some kalamata olives into the second batch I made, and this turned out to be a very good idea. That was many months and many batches ago. This dip is the sort of thing I can quickly become addicted to, happily eating it morning, noon, and night. Fortunately the recipe doubles easily. It also happens to be pretty good for you, which is nice to know if, like me, you're unable to stop eating it. I actually had to hide the recipe a while because I was afraid I'd eat so much I'd end up permanently sick of it, and I'd hate for that to happen.
White Bean and Artichoke Dip/Spread with Rosemary & Kalamatas
Makes about 2 cups (may be doubled) — Adapted from Fine Cooking
Cans of organic beans are a handy staple in my farmhouse pantry because they're so convenient and versatile. They're readily available in natural foods stores and many supermarkets and can often be found for the bargain price of about a dollar apiece. Some places such as Whole Foods will even give you a case discount if you stock up and buy 12 cans at a time.
I've used fresh lime juice in place of the lemon juice here a few times, and I really liked the flavor. Don't add the kalamatas in the food processor or they'll turn your dip a creepy purplish grey—stir them in at the end instead. I like to make half the batch with olives and half without and serve them up side by side, as pictured above.
I don't usually drizzle extra olive oil onto my food (preferring to save those calories for a couple of cookies or a hunk of chocolate cake instead), but in this case I highly recommend it. Besides, you'll probably be so full of dip you won't have room for dessert anyway.
You can serve this dip with just about anything—fresh veggies, crackers, pretzels, baguette slices—but it's heavenly on homemade pita chips. I also think it would be delicious spread on a sandwich.
To make your own pita chips, simply brush triangles of pita bread with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and a little finely grated hard cheese if you're feeling decadent, and bake them at 400° for 6 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pitas and how crisp and brown you like them.
I like to bake up small batches of pita chips in my beloved toaster convection oven (which also helps me keep from eating way too many pita chips at once). Homemade pita chips made from homemade pita bread are out of this world; see how easy it is to make your own pitas in my previous post, The Pita Project.
1 15-ounce can organic cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and rinsed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup (about ¼ ounces) finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of fresh pepper
2 heaping Tablespoons chopped kalamata olives (about 10 olives), optional
Combine the cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add a Tablespoon or two of water or more olive oil if you prefer a smoother consistency.
Blend in the rosemary and Pecorino Romano, then salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the kalamata olives if using. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita chips, crackers, baguette slices, or fresh vegetables.
This dip tastes even better after chilling for several hours or overnight, and will keep in the fridge for three or four days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Still hungry? Here are a few other dips and spreads you might enjoy:
Radish, Scallion and Feta Cream Cheese Spread/Dip
Chives and Herbed Yogurt Cheese
Sour Cream and Onion Dip (and Foodie Travel)
Ridiculously Easy White Bean Pesto Spread
Quick Refried Black Bean Dip
Salsa-Like Green Tomato Relish
Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip
Other Farmgirl Fare recipes that call for canned beans:
Garbanzo Bean Salad with Red Onion, Cilantro, & Feta
Swiss Chard Cabbage Salad with Garbanzos, Broccoli Stems, & Cottage Cheese
Fast Black Bean Soup/Chili
Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw with High Kickin' Creamy Tomato Dressing
Simple Broccoli Onion Soup with Garbanzo Beans
Other Farmgirl Fare recipes that use artichoke hearts:
Quick & Healthy Cream (or Not) of Artichoke Soup
Easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Onions, Garlic, Garbanzos, and Artichokes
Swiss Chard Artichoke Soup
Swiss Chard & Artichoke White Pizza
* © Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the recipe hoarding foodie farm blog where my plan really is to seriously start catching up with all the backlogged recipes I've been wanting to post, but of course I was just kidding when I said forget about the cute animal photos. I know some of you like them the best—and in my opinion it's impossible to ever have too much cute!
Topaz on Her Personal Sun Deck
Our Topaz has turned into quite the farm cat:
1/21/08: How Topaz, Sarah Kate, and Mr. Midnight Came into Our Lives
1/29/08: Farmyard Kitty
6/20/08: Meet Our New Hay Inspector
8/18/08: Tractor Cat
9/4/08: Even Kitty Cats Need to Eat Their Greens
5/24/09: Sweet Strawberries & A Curious Cat
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the tortie colored foodie farm blog where we stopped at PetSmart the other day during a trip to the Big City, and when I went over to check out who was in the feline adoption room (couldn't help myself), I saw a cat who looked so much like Topaz I could hardly believe it. Hopefully that sweet thing hasn't spent 15 months living at a shelter like Topaz did—and has already found a loving new home.
Do you have room for a four-footed family member? Please consider adopting a shelter or rescue animal—perhaps from my amazing friend Bernie Berlin's A Place To Bark. Click here to find out how you can spend a few seconds to help her one woman, non-profit organization—which finds homes for hundreds of dogs and cats each year who would otherwise be put to death—win a desperately needed check for $10,000. And click here to learn how you can help Bernie make her reality animal rescue TV show (which networks are seriously interested in) a reality!
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the soft and cuddly foodie farm blog where grown up donkeys are always lots of fun to have around, but baby donkeys make you want to squeal with delight, nuzzle those big ears, and bury your face in their furry necks (soon, soon he'll let me I hope!).
Keep cool. . .
And close to mom.
As for my own weekend plan, I haven't had a chance to chill out in my cool new retro chair yet, but I figure I still have a day and a half to fit in some serious shade time. The dishes are mostly done (how in the world can two people create thousands of dirty dishes?), the drooping kitchen garden has been watered (and even a little weeded!), and I think everyone's bellies are full—at least for now.
It's time to turn on the oven and bake up a big batch of chocolate chip cookies before roasting tonight's chicken—or else curl up and take a nap.
I hope you're having a relaxing weekend!
© FarmgirlFare.com, the siesta sounds good right about now foodie farm blog where, if she's not hanging out with Lucky Buddy Bear, this sweet Katahdin lamb—who almost always wears a little smile and is so friendly we named her Friendly—is stuck to her mama (who also adores Bear) like glue. Must be love glue.
More photos below. . .
Note Broccoli Treat Now on the Ground
Want to see what else The Donkettes (and Dan of course) have been up to? You'll find lots of links to donkey doings here.
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the picky foodie farm blog where some of us adore broccoli—especially if it comes from the kitchen garden.
Plus Advice for New Vegetable Gardeners and What Else to Do with Radishes
French Breakfast Radishes (Love that Name) Harvested in My Kitchen Garden last June
It's so easy to get sucked into the romantic allure of vegetable gardening. You scatter some seeds in the dirt, watch them burst forth and grow, and a few weeks later you gleefully skip outside wearing a straw hat and toting a cute basket to harvest armfuls of picture perfect bounty.
So effortless! So rewarding! So not what really happens most of the time—which is why many new gardeners quickly become frustrated, vowing to never again spend $164 and countless hours only to end up with four tomatoes, two small heads of bug-bitten cabbage, one scraggly basil plant, and so many giant zucchini their neighbors have started avoiding them (sort of like what happened to this guy).
Now you know I'm the last person to dissuade someone from starting an edible garden, and I personally think every unused, chemical-laden front lawn in the country should be torn up and turned into an organic potager. Homegrown anything always tastes better, and even after all these years I find nothing more rewarding than being able to step outside and pick part of my own lunch or dinner from my garden.
That said, I do have a few words of advice for budding gardeners. Please don't go crazy and mail order 75 different kinds of seeds during a snowstorm and/or cram your entire car full of seedlings from the nursery on the first day of spring. You're only going to end up totally overwhelmed—and annoyed. Instead, start small. Start with radishes. Radishes? I can hear you saying. Yes, radishes.
Colorful Easter Egg Radishes (and One French Breakfast) from My Garden
Most people don't know this, but homegrown radishes taste wonderful—crisp and peppery and alive with freshly dug flavor. They have fun names like French Breakfast, Crunchy Royale, and Easter Egg, come in a rainbow of beautiful colors, and are actually two crops in one because you can also eat the leaves, which are full of Vitamin C and calcium.
A member of the cabbage/cruciferous family (you know, the one whose members all have those amazing anti-cancer properties), the low calorie radish has been used over the years to help everything from runny noses and respiratory problems to digestive disorders and liver troubles.
But, most importantly, radishes will almost never let you down in the garden. You really do just scatter some seeds in the dirt (they prefer cool, moist soil), watch them burst forth and grow, and then a few weeks later gleefully skip out and harvest armfuls of picture perfect bounty—straw hat and cute basket optional. You can even grow radishes in pots.
That's all well and good, I can hear you saying, but what am I supposed to do with armfuls of radishes besides toss them in salads and carve them into mice and musicians?
All sorts of things. Chopped radishes add a pleasant zing to tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, and even fresh tomato salsa. You can toss them into your favorite coleslaw, and I just realized they'd be a great addition to my Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw.
Try layering sliced radishes on a roast beef sandwich, or use paper thin slices to garnish hot soups. Ooh, some finely chopped radishes would probably be perfect atop a chilled bowl of Quick & Easy Gazpacho (which I've been meaning to make for days). You can even braise radishes in a little butter, with or without some minced shallots, though I have yet to try this.
It's still too hot here in southern Missouri to plant more radishes yet, but when my next crop is ready, I'm determined to finally make some pickled radishes. I also don't want to be the only radish lover around who still hasn't enjoyed the classic French sandwich people are always swooning over: spread a halved crusty baguette (I'll use one of the Four Hour Parisian Baguettes I love so much) with your favorite butter, top with thinly sliced radishes, and sprinkle with some nice salt.
But what I really want to do is make a whole lot more of this simple yet scrumptious dip.
So what's your favorite way to eat radishes?
Refreshing Radish Spread/Dip
Makes about 2 cups
Inspired by Helen's recipe at Beyond Salmon via Alanna's version at A Veggie Venture
My Less Fuss, More Flavor way of cooking usually involves simplifying recipes, but this time I applied my More, More, More philosophy to the original three ingredient version of this healthy spread—upping the scallions (purple spring onions work well, too) and adding in some lemon juice, chopped parsley, and feta.
To make a thicker sandwich spread, use a little more cream cheese. I also like this mixed with cottage cheese, either eaten as a dip or in a dish with a spoon. I would have used even more radishes, but the spread started to get a little watery. Alanna makes her version with only 4 ounces of cream cheese, though, so it may depend on the variety of radishes you use.
The flavors improve after mingling for a little while, so make this at least a few hours before serving if you can. As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients—they really do make a difference in so many ways.
2 cups (8 ounces) halved or quartered radishes
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (purple spring onions are nice, too)
½ cup (or more to taste) packed chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces (or more) cream cheese, softened
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt (start with less if you're including the feta)
Several grinds of fresh pepper
Cottage cheese (optional)
Whiz the radishes, scallions, and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the cream cheese, feta cheese (if using—or you can always stir it into part or all of the batch later), lemon juice, salt, and pepper and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as necessary. Add more cream cheese if you'd like a thicker sandwich spread, or stir in (or process in) some cottage cheese if desired.
Serve with fresh veggies, crackers, pita chips (made from homemade pita breads perhaps?), pretzels or baguette slices. Helen says her favorite springtime open-faced sandwich is a slice of bread with radish spread and smoked salmon, and Alanna likes stirring her spread into steamed broccoli. It will keep in the fridge for 3 days.
Still hungry? Here are a few more Farmgirl Fare dips and spreads you might enjoy:
—Chives and Herbed Yogurt Cheese
—Sour Cream and Onion Dip (and Foodie Travel)
—Ridiculously Easy White Bean Pesto Spread
—Quick Refried Black Bean Dip
—Salsa-Like Green Tomato Relish
—Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the crisp and crunchy foodie farm blog where homegrown radishes aren't just a way of life—they're an adventure.
At Least She Spared the Nearby Surprise Lilies
The Dirty Paws Totally Bust Her—and Don't You Just Love the Pillow Rock?
Want to get to know our beagle baby better? You'll find links to lots more photos of 12-year-old Robin here.
© 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the hot dog foodie farm blog where it's a good thing that I completely understand the need to find a cool spot on these hot August days—and that Robin is so darn cute.
